Track end connector puller



INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYES.

- July 2, 1957 M. o. BEARD, JR

TRACK END CONNECTOR FULLER Filed March 31, 1954 United States Patent TRACK END CONNECTOR PULLER Michael O. Beard, Jr., Oceanside, Calif.

Application March 31, 1954, Serial No. 420,220

1 Claim. (Cl. 29256) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to a pulling tool for the removal of machine elements which are frictionally retained in operative position. More specifically, the invention is directed toward the removal of end connectors from the tracks of track laying vehicles such as tanks.

The track or tread of such a vehicle is made up of a plurality of transverse shoes which are pivotally linked together at their inner and outer ends by so-called end connectors which are fitted to bars which extend transversely through adjacent shoes. Removal of at least one pair of end connectors is necessary whenever a track is to be removed from the vehicle, and this involves difficult operations, since corrosion often causes the parts to adhere firmly to each other.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pulling tool capable of exerting a powerful force tending to separate the elements, which force may be assisted by blows administered by a hammer or the like.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description. s

Fig. 1 is a horizontal view, partly in section, showing the invention applied to a tank thread.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The tank thread shown fragmentarily in the drawing is of known type, being made up of shoes each of which has at each end a transverse bore through which extends a transverse bar 12, 13 in rotatable relation to the shoe. The ends 14, 15 of the bars project beyond the shoe, and end connectors 16 are mounted thereon at both sides of the tread to connect the shoes in articulated relation to each other. Each end connector is formed with a vertical aperture 18 designed to receive a key, not shown, which holds the connector in place during the operation of the tank.

The puller shown in the drawing comprises a yoke 20 2,797,470 Patented July 2, 1957 including posts 22 formed with reduced ends 23 for engaging the ends 14, 15, a cross piece 24 welded to and rigidly connecting said posts, and an anvil 26 removably mounted across the outer ends of the posts'and designed to receive blows from a hammer or sledge.

A second yoke 28 is mounted within the outline of the first yoke, and comprises a crosshead 32, a leg 34 separably connected thereto, and a leg 35 fixedly secured thereto as by welding. The leg 35 has fixedly secured thereto a tubular member 36 designed to be inserted in aperture 18, and a bolt 38 extends through member 36 and secures the inner ends of legs 34, 35 together.

The cross piece 24 is formed with a bore 40 to loosely receive a bolt 42 which threadedly engages a tapped bore in crosshead 32 to provide a means for drawing cross piece 24 and crosshead 32 together, thereby putting legs 34, 35 in tension and posts 22 in compression.

In the operation of the device, the puller is applied to the tank tread in situ as shown in the drawing, and bolt 42 is rotated to cause legs 34, 35 to exert an outward force tending to move the end connector 16 outwardly relative to the ends 14, 15. This action may be assisted by striking the anvil 26, producing shock which tends to loosen the parts. The bolt 42 may then be further tightened and the process repeated until the connector is removed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: 1

For use with a tank tread comprising shoes'each of which has transverse bars extending therethrough with their ends projecting therefrom and an end connector fitted on said ends and formed with a transverse aperture; a puller for said connector comprising a yoke including posts with their inner ends located for engaging the ends of said connectors and a cross piece rigidly connecting said posts, an anvil detachably spanning the outer ends of said'posts, a second yoke having a member engageable in said aperture and having a crosshead and legs connecting said crosshead and said member, and a bolt threaded through said crosshead and loosely mounted in said cross piece for drawing said cross piece and said crosshead toward each other to thereby withdraw said end connector from said bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 131,050 Butler Sept. 3, 1872 953,923 Rowe Apr. 5, 1910 1,060,872 Wilson May 6, 1913 1,820,870 Fisher Aug. 25, 1931 2,511,044 Carlson June 13, 1950 

